Millions stand confused!  A sea of supplements in the local health food store or market blinds us.  Hundreds of ads, articles and friendly advice further complicate the issue. Determining the best regimen of nutritional supplements can be a mission impossible.  Short of relying on “eenie meenie miney mo,” many give up by taking nothing!  The purpose of this article is to encourage the use of at least one daily supplement.  Perhaps the most important, and likely the most researched, it is definitely the most varied in regard to quality and price.  Omega-3 fatty acids, found in fish oil, are vital for our health and well-being!  These are the official “GOOD FATS.”

Could it be the hot dogs, cold beer and the pungent smell of burnt rubber?  Perhaps it’s the many steps and other obstacles that exercise the thighs and legs like pistons while on the way to your seat.  Or, is it simply the deafening roar of the passing cars and cheering crowds?  How can NASCAR keep you fit?  To help in the creation of one’s optimum weight, it is better to look at a NASCAR pit crew for the answers than to the crowded concession stands or circling drivers.  Why is that?  The pit crew knows fuel, parts and tires. 

The approach to health differs between the western model and holistic models.  In the west health, is defined by conventional or allopathic practitioners as the absence of disease.  Very little time or resources or committed to looking at the whole person and the connection between mind-body-spirit.  Yet, these very same practitioners do recognize that some connection exists and that those with mind-spirit disruptions do not fare as well with treatments.  These are often those with chronic illness who continue to resist treatment or life style changes and those who seem unable to heal.  This is not absolute of course.  Many succumb to a multitude of diseases that are very strong in mind and spirit.  The nature of healing is a complex process and is not an event.  It involves the role of the patient and practitioner(s) in a complex process.  This process of integrating healthy life styles into the essence of life often involves using multiple avenues by the patient with the assistance of one or often more practitioners.  No set time frame can be applied since this is a very personal process with a unique purpose for each person involved.  This includes the healer/practitioner.

Earl’s raspy breathing often preceded him on his visit to the doctor’s office.  “Darth Vadar!” the receptionist would kiddingly say as he opened the office door.  This, plus his shortness of breath, fatigue and depression sent him repeatedly to his family practitioner, cardiologist and pulmonary doctor.

When Earl came to see us at the Center for Integrative Health, he was ashen, gray and wheezing.  After an extensive interview, we put him on a regimen for his symptoms.  A week into his treatment he felt better but when his studies came back he was seen to have a severe Vitamin D deficiency and was immediately put on 5,000 IU daily of Vitamin D3.  

Q:   I’ve recently found out that acupuncture is practiced on pets. What pets exactly?

A:     Acupuncture is the placement of tiny needles into specific predetermined locations, called acupuncture points, on the body for the purposes of healing. The word “acupuncture” is derived from the Latin “acus”, which means “needle” and “pungare”, which means, “to pierce”.

Touch + Intention + Attention = Healing

You have used your hands for a myriad of tasks today, but most likely none of them have involved healing.  That’s about to change.  It is both simple and easy to transmit healing energy using the very hands that zip up your jacket, open doors, hold a phone or hand over a credit card.  

Touch is a powerful catalyst for healing energy. 

Put this magazine down for a minute, and place your palms and fingers lightly together in the classic prayer position ~ not to pray, but just to feel.  Focus on their temperature for a moment.  Relax a bit.  Maybe take a satisfyingly full breath.  Be present with your experience.  Is there even the slightest shift in temperature?  Now concentrate on sensations shared by those hands.  A slight pulsation perhaps.  Any buzzing, humming or prickles?  Be patient.  Pay attention.

Question:  
     My pet was just diagnosed with Lyme disease. He was put on antibiotics for a month. What else can I do to help him ?

Answer:
     The current information on Lyme disease in dogs has been growing over the years. Certainly, more research needs to be done to fully understand the course and status of these pets after they have been treated. Of particular interest is the question of whether the pet is completely rid of the organism once treated. This is still up for debate, however, some studies have come to light. More practitioners now consider that a Lyme-positive dog may never be able to completely clear the infection.

Question:
      I prefer not to use any of the topical and toxic flea preventatives on the market. Do you know of any natural ways I can help prevent fleas from bothering my dogs and cat?

Answer:
     A successful flea control program involves treating your pet, as well as, the environment. The adult female flea can lay as many as five hundred eggs a day. That can translate into tens of thousands of fleas by the end of the month. Under ideal conditions of temperature and humidity the flea can go through its four-stage life cycle which is egg, larva, pupa and adult within three to four weeks.

Imagine gazing into your flat screen television.  The late night infomercial stops your thumb from dancing like a jackhammer on the remote control.  The slick announcer, with his white teeth and radiant tan, pitches bigger than-life promises!  He rattles off a string of irresistible hooks:

“Do you want to optimize your BRAIN FUNCTION, have better ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE, deep SLEEP, lowered BLOOD PRESSURE, less ANXIETY, reduced STRESS, better HEALTH and reverse THE AGING PROCESS...?”

My first "real" patient ("real" meaning not another student!) during my internship has left lasting memories. I was in Atlanta that summer of 1991, and it was hot. Between being nervous from having the first patient ever of my new career gaze with desperation into my eyes, and the blue, polyester blend clinic jacket that covered my long-sleeve shirt and matching blue tie, the day felt even hotter! My patient was in extreme pain. My mind raced. I took deep breaths to stave off hyperventilation. Then the miracle happened. After weeks of chiropractic care, a welcomed surprise occurred in my first patient's life. The day ended with smiles. I survived. He survived... and he felt real relief!

                When Andrew, a third grader, was having difficulty at school, his mother requested a teacher conference and was told her son fails to pay attention in class, disrupts his fellow students and is often found daydreaming or passing notes during important class discussion.  The teacher described his pattern as consistent with Attention Deficit Disorder.

            ADD and ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) refer to behaviors relating to inattention, impulsivity and/or hyperactivity.

PART 1

What happened to all the SEESAWS?  Was it the bruised knees, bleeding chins or sore behinds that brought their demise?  It must have been the lawyers fueled by angry parents with sobbing children.  This momentous removal was necessary to protect from playground injury.  On the downside, we lost a valuable educational tool when seesaws began to vanish from our neighborhoods!

      Celebrate! Maintaining Health and Weight
 
      Balancing feasting with fasting is my secret for ebulliently enjoying holiday festivities to the max.  (I’ve heard, however, there are more restrained levels of holiday enjoyment.  Choose what suits you.) Yes, I can party hearty with a free conscience and keep my svelte physique.  And you can, too.  Here are the details for you to emulate or adapt respecting your personal physical condition to boost your holiday pleasure without diminishing your health or adding inches to your waistline.

Question:
     How do I know if my dog or cat is experiencing any kind of pain? They are both getting older and “slowing down” but they never cry or whimper.

Answer:
     First and foremost to understand about animals is that we have domesticated them. As such we can live with dogs and cats in our homes and generally coexist without issue. There is, however, a part of both dogs and cats that is an innate instinct for survival. I usually explain it to my clients by saying that we need to go back a million years or so when survival of the fittest in the forest was the norm. Back then, as now, in the wild, an animal is either a predator or the prey. When either of them became injured or weak, they became an easy target for a hungry predator. 

All companion animals should be provided with clean, fresh water every day (ideally filtered water or spring water). The water bowel is best if made out of stainless steel or ceramic since some dogs and cats do have allergies to bowls made of plastic and this can cause inflammation, irritation and lesions around the mouth and chin.

All pets should receive their food once or twice a day (my preference is twice a day) at approximately the same time. Free choice food left down all day is a NO NO. This allows the pet to pick throughout the day and eventually will lead to an overweight animal. It also interferes with the digestive process that begins in the mouth.

      Reiki has long been practiced on humans as a form of energy medicine and energy healing. It originated in Japan with a Dr. Mikao  Usui. Many schools have developed since then but Dr. Usui is considered the founder. It was through Dr. Usui’s line that I became a Reiki Master in 2003. The term Reiki translates into “universal life energy.” Reiki is considered part of the range of holistic healing presently gathering acceptance into mainstream medicine, particularly energy medicine.  Since everything in the universe, us, plants, trees, animals, the oceans, all are made up of energy,  we are all connected. It is through this connection that Reiki is able to help a person or animal heal, not just on a physical level, but also, on an emotional, mental and spiritual level, as well.